Dr. Mert Gur

Biography

Mert Gur specializes in solving problems at the intersection of medicine, biology, and engineering using computational modeling and statistical thermodynamics methods. His research interests focus on protein systems known to be potential drug targets and proteins that constitute complex functional machinery, comparable to macroscopic machines encountered in daily life. He performs atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and elastic network models to model the transition of protein states and explore the corresponding energetics for functional inferences. His work investigates disease-related mutations and their effects on protein structure, dynamics, and function, contributing to the design of therapeutic strategies. Current projects include investigating HLA-B51 as a potential drug target for Behcet’s disease, analyzing mutations in colon and breast cancer patients, and modeling nanobodies targeting variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins. Additionally, Mert closely collaborates with the Ivet Bahar lab to gain deeper insights into allostery and engineering tandem-repeat proteins for new functionalities.

Research Interests

Experience